A sweet story about small towns and first loves who might deserve a second chance. Can’t beat sweet southern romances!

I loved "Sing Me Home to Carolina"! This is such a sweet story about first love and the connections in a small town. There is power in a small town coming together, which Callaway lovingly conveys. Southern charm is also on full display here. I enjoyed the setting of Mountain View, SC and Hattie as the main character. Pitting the town's economic interests against the interests of Hattie's family is a great way to set up tension and keep us turning the pages! I was invested in whether the barn would be saved and how the proposed stadium would impact Hattie's family. As Hattie rekindles old relationships and embarks on new ones, she learns powerful life lessons. This is a feel-good story full of charm. I highly recommend it for fans of Viola Shipman and Hallmark movies.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Sing Me Home to Carolina
Author: Joy Callaway @joywcal
Thanks to @netgalley and @alcovepress
Pub Date : 10th June-25
Stars: 🎶♥️🎶♥️🎶

“The love we had was the forever kind, the kind that endures time and distance and lust. I think the only way it can break is if something equally as strong comes along and snaps it in two. After that, I don’t think it can ever be the same.”

Setup in a small town in South Carolina- Mountain View which is still enveloped in the beauty farming and old country music lovers and heritage of Robinson’s who were the founders of this town and country music legends. When Hattie the small town girl turned to city business event manager returns home to find that the town is dying and her parents farm is now infertile and the town is getting scooped up by Govt to build a Stadium.. The town councilwoman begs Hattie to use her event planning prowess to help Mountain View put on a musical benefit to stop the construction of the new Carolina Panthers stadium—a project Hattie is actually in favor of, much to the dismay of the locals—and she finds herself agreeing to stay until the town’s Founder’s Day. Her old flame former MLB standout Lee Lockhart returns tugging at her heart. But with time and complicated past between her and Lee .. She is in dilemma. In the process of reviving the barn, she is attracted to town hunk and mysterious new owner of Fox Hardware.. Fox..
The emotional turmoil of Hattie’s is so real., the
Tug between her old flame and the new hunk is convincing.. I loved how the story of the romance and the saving of the town goes hand in hand..and none of it looses the charm..it is so well written that the reader is eager to know what happens with Hattie - Lee and Fox and will this town be saved!! That is the charm of this story. All small town romance lovers will love and hold this book close to their hearts.. Read this charming story and loose yourself in the charm of countryside.. ♥️🎶🎶🎸🎸♥️

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

4.5/ 5 stars

The summary really grabbed my attention because it had drama, romance and a woman choosing between 2 different men for her ❤️ heart.

This closed door romance book has a lot of my favorite tropes:
❤️ Love Triangle 🔺️
❤️ Small town romance
❤️ Conflicts and Drama
❤️ New Love vs Second chance romance

Hattie goes back to her hometown, a small town, where her parents own a large farm. The town is slated to have farmland bought and turned into a baseball stadium. The town deeply opposes thos sctuin but Hattoe does not, she sees it as a benefit.

She runs into her high dchool boyfriend Lee, who had broken up with her senior senior graduation, hooked up with another girl and left for the major leagues in Atlanta. He immediately gravitate towards her and tries to win her back, while still visually seeing the woman he was seeing after breaking her heart.

She also meets Fox, whobowns the hardeare shop
who she knows isn't really named Fox but he isn't sharing much details about his past at all. Hattie likes him though and he's always there to help her avoid disasters.

Hattie loves Lee but her heart flips when she's around Fox and she feels a deep connection.

Can Hattie help save her hometown and which man will she give her heart to? I suggest reading 📚 the book to find out.

Sing Me Home to Carolina
by Joy Callaway
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
A small town girl turned big city businesswoman returns home to help her parents, only to find her heart being tugged between her old flame and the town’s mysterious new guy.
This witty and effervescent novel is perfect for readers of Viola Shipman and fans of Sweet Magnolias and Hart of Dixie.
This was a miss for me. I enjoy Shipman and this book just doesn't rate with that one.
In general I enjoyed the cast of characters, although I didn’t particularly like Hattie and Lee.
I liked Fox and the fact the mystery surrounding him lingers until the end.
Hattie’s reactions and feelings towards Lee and Fox seemed often unexplainable and weird. Her indecisiveness is a bit annoying.
And I cannot fathom an event planner forgetting to contact the media…
I found there is too much telling, explaining, and tiring dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of Sing Me Home to Carolina! Joy Callaway weaves a heartfelt story full of Southern charm and rich history. The characters feel real, and the setting is so vivid it’s like stepping into the Carolinas. The pacing was a bit slow in spots, but the emotional depth and beautiful writing more than made up for it. This is a warm, nostalgic read that feels like a hug—perfect for fans of family dramas and historical fiction. Definitely worth a spot on your TBR!

Sing Me Home to Carolina is a lovely, heartfelt, journey back to small town South Carolina. Hattie Norwood, an event planner who returns home to help her parents save their struggling farm faces some small town drama. She starts to organize a local benefit to protect the town from an unwanted stadium project. Next to the small town drama Hattie gets into a romantic dilemma where she finds herself in a love triangle between her teenage lover, Lee and the towns new guy, Fox. Even though some parts of the plot felt a bit predictable, the warmth of the community and the characters made up for it.

Overall, this is a warm, engaging read with a blend of community spirit and personal growth. Joy Callaway creates an inviting world where family legacies and romantic crossroads collide. If you like southern fiction and second chance romances you will definitely enjoy this book.

read if you like
- second chance romance
- small town romance
- love triangle
- hallmark movie vibes

Was so excited to be granted this book. A beautiful concept but a bit of a difficult execution for me. Loved the setting and the evocative descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells. Enjoyed the various lyrics and the underlying music theme. Difficult to relate to the superficially developed characters - especially the main heroine. Could have been a classic Southern story but stopped short along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A bit too small town for my enjoyment. I was drawn to this book's cover, but the story didn't capture my attention like I hoped it would. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Joy Callaway’s *Sing Me Home to Carolina* is a sparkling, heartfelt romance brimming with Southern charm, small-town drama, and the universal tug-of-war between the past and the future. With its witty dialogue, vibrant cast of characters, and a love triangle that will leave readers torn, this delightful novel captures the essence of home, heritage, and finding where the heart truly belongs.

The story follows Hattie Norwood, a big-city event planner who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Mountain View, South Carolina, to help her parents deal with the troubling news that their peanut farm is no longer viable. What begins as a short visit turns into a whirlwind of unexpected events, from planning a musical benefit to stop the construction of a new stadium to navigating romantic tension between two very different men: her old flame, Lee Lockhardt, a former MLB star, and the enigmatic newcomer, Fox Ryan, who has big ideas for revitalizing her family’s farm.

Hattie is a delightfully complex protagonist—smart, ambitious, and occasionally exasperated by her quirky hometown, yet with a deep, undeniable love for it. Her journey is as much about rediscovering her roots as it is about untangling her feelings for the two men vying for her heart. Lee, with his history and charm, pulls her toward the familiarity of her past, while Fox’s mystery and vision challenge her to think about the possibilities of a different future.

Callaway excels at creating a vivid small-town setting that feels alive with charm and eccentricity. The locals are a quirky, endearing bunch, from meddling council members to colorful neighbors, each adding their own flavor to the story. The backdrop of Mountain View is equally engaging, with its rich traditions, bustling Founder’s Day celebration, and the drama surrounding the proposed stadium, all of which set the stage for a week that will change everything for Hattie.

What truly shines in *Sing Me Home to Carolina* is its balance of humor, romance, and emotional depth. Hattie’s professional conflict—supporting a project she believes in while helping her town fight against it—adds an intriguing layer of tension, while the love triangle keeps the reader guessing. Both Lee and Fox are compelling romantic leads, and Callaway’s deft storytelling ensures that choosing a side is no easy feat.

The pacing is lively, with just the right mix of introspection and action. Callaway’s prose captures the warmth and complexity of small-town life, from heartfelt moments on the Norwood farm to the buzz of community events. The music-infused plot adds a special touch, reinforcing the theme of connection—both to the past and to the possibilities ahead.

*Sing Me Home to Carolina* is a witty, effervescent novel that will appeal to fans of *Sweet Magnolias*, *Hart of Dixie*, and the works of Viola Shipman. Joy Callaway has crafted a love story that is as tender as it is entertaining, wrapped in the charm of a close-knit community and the enduring question of what—and who—makes a place feel like home. Whether you’re Team Lee or Team Fox, you’ll find yourself rooting for Hattie to follow her heart in this unforgettable Southern romance.

This book had it all, small town, romance, second chances, history, legacy.
Hattie returns home to help her parents with their failing farm, and she becomes the outsider in the towns petitions and protests to stop the new stadium from being built on their farms.
Hattie reunites with her high school boyfriend, she also has feelings for the new hardware store owner Fox, this goes back-and-forth for a while, and honestly, I liked both men for her.
This book was so much more than just romance, the town, the history , the people, it just draws you in and you are there!
This author has a unique style of drawing you in and making you such a part of every page!
This is my first book by this author, but will definitely not be my last.

Hattie, a big city event planner, is set to be made a partner in her company when she is called home to help her parents deal with the devastating news about their farm. once there she realizes that her small town is dying without new business coming in. A football stadium is planned to be built there, but the rest of the town is against it because it will change their town too much. This creates tension between Hattie and the rest of her community. On top of this framework, her old boyfriend, a former Baseball legion, has returned along with a new comer, mysterious Fox. Hence a love triangle is set up. How will Hattie navigate all of these?

This is a fun, light read full of warmth set in a small country side small community.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and author for the complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hattie goes back to her small hometown of Mountain View, North Carolina for a short visit. she is asked to help plan a music festival. small town romance.

I'm really torn on how I feel about this book, but I have settled on three stars. I enjoyed the overall story, and I especially enjoyed some of the places since I'm in South Carolina. I was never able to connect with any of the main characters and felt there was a little too many things which were forced and turned out too perfect. In short, it would make a great Hallmark movie - a cute story but one that doesn't have a lot of substance.

Thank you Alcove Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I heard that this book was like Hart of Dixie and Schitt's Creek which are two of my favorite shows. It did not disappoint. I loved watching the main character, Hattie's transformation from being annoyed at being home to falling back in love with her small town. This is very realistic because this is what happened to me too. I loved the romance and fell in love with both Lee and Fox (but mostly Fox, just being real). This book also made me laugh a lot. The first wedding, all of the old casseroles, and the ramp dinner were my favorite funny scenes. I'm sad this book is over and wish I could somehow live in Mountain View.

Sing Me Home to Carolina excels in describing the beauty and charm of North Carolina. Unfortunately, the same care wasn't taken with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

This is my first book by Joy Callaway. I really enjoyed the small town story, but Hattie was really annoying. She seemed to think she was better than her small town since she works in the big city of Charlotte and thinks the town is beneath her. Then, when she finds out her high school love is back in town because of a career ending injury from baseball, but he's seen hanging with the same girl that he was kissing on as soon as they broke up many years ago, she still believes him when he says he lives her and never stopped. They both seem too immature. Not to mention, when you throw in the mysterious hardware store owner Fox who no one really knows a lot about. Hattie starts having feelings for him as well even a she is telling Lee she still loves him. It was good but just didn't like how she played with both guys feelings.

I was excited for this book. I’m a big fan of Hart of Dixie and Sweet Magnolias and enjoy those stories. I can definitley see the connection in this book. However, I think this was a miss. The set up and premise were good: small town fighting against new NFL stadium taking farms and local gal back from big city job gets stuck hosting events protesting the build AND reconnects with first love. I had a couple of issues. First, I didn’t like Hattie. She didn’t really have a redemption arc and just went with things while complaining. Second, the love story didn’t work. 90% of the story was about how much she loves one of the guys, and then flips. There was not much romantic build up for the other guy and it felt out of place in the story. I ended up wanting her to not have either, which isn’t great for a romance. I think this is a pass or at best, a library rental.

Thank you Alcove Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a book that cost me to read mainly because of my personal tastes, a love triangle and a second chance in the same book are difficult for me especially when they do not stay with the character that I like, thank God that did not happen in this book.

The book tells us the story of Hattie who returns to the town where she grew up for a while to visit her parents due to problems with her farm, there we meet Hattie's childhood friends who I believe never matured and reunites with her ex-boyfriend from high school Lee who had returned to the town after having suffered an injury as a baseball player, we also know Fox who is new to the town and has a rather mysterious past.

Overall a great book to pass the time, easy to read and of course quite entertaining, great choice to read it with country music in the background.

This was like a hug of comfort. I enjoyed the nod to country music and small towns. It was a comfort read that I could not put down!